Loving God…loving others

Due to weather cancellations next Sunday (Jan. 22) our Meeting for Study Hour returns at 9:30am (meeting every other Sunday). This quarter we are offering two classes:

Option 1: Quaker Conversation about Race (facilitated by Kate Pattison and Mark Rediske). This is a continuation of the class we started last quarter.

We have embarked on a journey to learn about race in America, to understand the history of our country (Oregon specifically), how systems of oppression and privilege touch everything we do, and identify the intersections with our faith and life as a follower of Jesus. We are learning about the Black Lives Matter movement, understand how social media has changed what we witness, and how Jesus encountered oppressive powers and social constructs. Everyone is invited to participate and we will use a variety of resources to inform the discussion and learning.

Option 2: *NEW* The Voice of Matthew (facilitated by Pastor Bob) This is a conversation-based study on the text from “The Voice of Matthew” by Lauren F. Winner.

The Voice of Matthew is a unique retelling of the life of Jesus from the perspective of a Jewish believer who wants to connect the past with the future. The writer of this retelling is Lauren Winner, a young Jewish woman who has become a follower of Jesus. She is an extremely talented writer and a lecturer at Duke Divinity School that brings an intellectual edge to the biblical story. At the heart of this retelling is an accurate rendering of the traditional Bible text with historical and cultural expansions of the story that are placed in italic type to help the reader differentiate the expansions from the Bible text.

Each Sunday we will look at a single chapter of Matthew and discuss the text’s implication for our daily lives.

PLEASE NOTE, on the opposite Sundays of our Meeting for Study we offer our Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship at 9:30am in the *new* green room. Come join us in a time of “expectant listening” and silent worship. Our next Unprogrammed Meeting will be this Sunday, Jan 15.

Come sit with neighbors in Quaker silence as we reflect on the events of 2016 and prepare for 2017. During this time we will hear a reading from scripture, ponder some queries in silence, and finish with a short round of “Thankfuls” as we acknowledge the abundance of God.

There will be childcare for littles who have not developed the practice of silence. Please RSVP if you anticipate needing someone to watch your children so we can plan accordingly.

What a weekend of weather! We hope everyone is safe back at work and school this morning! It was VERY disappointing and a difficult decision to have to cancel this week’s Meeting for Worship and Preschool Christmas Program due to safety issues, but it was necessary.

We are extremely thankful for those who assessed and did the hard work of trying to clean off our sidewalks before ultimately needing to cancel. Thank you to William and Jaime Hudson and Mark Rediske.

Currently, Meg Feicht and our SCS Preschool is looking to find a new date and time for our Preschool Christmas Program (be watching for details). It will most likely be after the new year, so we will simply keep the celebration going!

Also, we do not want to forget our Advent Giving for this past Sunday to help support Somos Hispanas Unidas. Feel free to drop off the following items at the church office this week or bring them to our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 4:30pm this Saturday. Here is a list of items needed:

As well, your tithes, offerings, and year end gifts will be received in the church office this week and at our Meeting for Worship on Christmas Eve. Your weekly giving is very important to the continued ministry and mission of SFC. We are blessed by your graciousness and commitment to make visible the Kingdom of God in Silverton.

We pray this final week of Advent preparation will find you giving birth to the Christ-Child in your homes and communities this Christmas!

WEATHER CANCELLATION: due to the weather and the icy conditions of our parking lot, the black ice on the roads around the church, and possible changing weather conditions tonight, we are cancelling tomorrow morning’s (Sunday, Dec. 18) Meeting for Worship and the Silverton Christian Preschool Christmas Program to keep all parties safe. We are sorry for this late notice, put pray that you will spend this time worshipping with family at home.

As long as weather conditions improve, we hope to see you on Christmas Eve for our Family Candlelight Service “Locating Christmas” at 4:30pm. Be safe and pray for those having to be out in these conditions.

Our annual Advent Giving is underway at SFC and your generosity is overflowing into the community to those in need this season.

Currently, the church office is filling with presents for the Silverton Zenith Club’s Tree of Giving! These presents will be going to support a couple of local families in need during the holidays. Red tags were handed out in church the Sunday before Advent with items needed. (Just a reminder that these gifts need to be in the church office by this Friday, Dec. 9th.)

Also, it is not too late to participate in our Advent Giving for the second week of Advent which supports Silverton High School Students whose first language is not English. These students have a variety of needs spanning clothing, transportation, and direct financial support to cover life costs. You may still drop off gift cards (Payless Shoes, Gas, Coffee, etc…) or write a check to support the work and help pay bills. We will be collecting them throughout the week in the church office.

This coming Sunday (Advent 3) we will be supporting the Saturday Meals in Salem for the homeless. We ask that you donate tarps, duct tape, batteries, socks, sleeping bags, etc. This is the same group we have supported in the past and that Chuck Castro works with and has made a plea for during open worship.

Our final Advent Giving will go to Somos Hispanas Unidas Silverton. We will again support this organization that works directly with local families navigating the immigration system. The giving opportunities will be shared this Sunday (Dec. 11) in our meeting for worship.

THANK YOU for your generosity during this Advent season and for making visible the Kingdom of God in Silverton!

The Season of Advent brings back wonderful memories and traditions for me and my family. Sitting around the table, lighting candles, reading the stories of Christmas from the Bible, and anticipating the big celebration to take place at the end of the four weeks. One of the hymns in our hymnal for this season was The Advent of our God.

The Advent of our God

Shall be our theme for prayer;

Come, let us meet him on the road

And place for him prepare.

I remember singing this as a child and thinking, “This is definitely speaking of a time for prayer and preparation, but why would we meet Jesus out on the road? What is he doing out there?”

You see, the church my family attended throughout my grade school years was just down a hill from the historic Lincoln Highway in New Haven, Indiana. So, whenever we sang that hymn, I imagined myself climbing that hill and meeting Jesus on the side of the road.

Maybe his car had broken down. Maybe he was hitchhiking as many people did on that highway. Or maybe he was thrown out of a passing car and left for dead by a gang of thugs.

Obviously, my imagination ran deep at the age of ten (and I REALLY liked the A-Team.)

It didn’t hit me until many years later that the metaphor in the song was about joining Jesus on his journey or what some might call his earthly pilgrimage. That Jesus had become incarnate and joined us in this world was beyond my full understanding when I was ten.

Today, I think I may need to go back and embrace some of those early memories of Jesus and not just spiritualize them or create word pictures to sing. Maybe we all need to meet Jesus on the road again. Just maybe, we need to seek Jesus out on the byways, highways, side streets, and dirt roads.

Jesus is the drifter going down city alleyways in search of food.

Jesus is the broken-down biker trying to figure out where life went wrong.

Jesus is the bearded man in rags standing with a cardboard sign that reads “Will Work for Food.”

Jesus is one of 20 individuals crammed in the back of a van trying to cross the border.

Jesus is the business woman on her cellphone in rush hour traffic.

Jesus is one of the kids playing a pick-up game of basketball on the cul-de-sac in your neighborhood.

The question is, “Do we see him out there?” and “Are we willing to meet him out on the road?” As we take a walk or run, or as we ride our bike or drive our car out on the roads this Advent, let each journey be an opportunity to meet Jesus in the people on the road and prepare a place to welcome Him into our homes and lives. Come, let us meet Him on the road.

The following statement was delivered or mailed to the administrators and staff of all the public schools in our Silver Falls School District in Silverton, Oregon. Our Quaker meeting wants to stand in support and solidarity with our local administrators, teachers and staff in these days.

From: Silverton Friends Church

Date: November 10, 2016
RE: Statement of Support and Solidarity

Dear Administrators and Staff:

You have had a difficult couple of days. We write to offer our support for the challenging but critically important work in which you are now engaged.

As Quakers, we believe in the inherent dignity and worth of each member of the community; in the importance of respectful dialogue and listening; in the peaceable resolution of differences; and in tolerance for views that diverge from our own.

These are the same values you seek to uphold in the Silver Falls School District. As our nation emerges from a bitter and divisive election season, we are reminded that our country’s future will ultimately rest in the hands of our young people. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts to create and support a school culture characterized by respect, civility and active engagement, and we will hold your work in the Light over the coming days.

If there is any concrete way we can be of support, we hope you will make us aware of these needs.